Songs

Jeshchjo v poljakh belejet sneg, 'Spring waters'

by Sergei Rachmaninov From Twelve Romances (1896) Op. 14

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Jeshchjo v poljakh belejet sneg, 'Spring waters'
Russian source: Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev

Jeshchjo v poljakh belejet sneg,
A vody uzh vesnoj shumjat --
Begut i budjat sonnyj breg,
Begut, i bleshchut, i glasjat...

Oni glasjat vo vse koncy:
"Vesna idjot, vesna idjot!
My molodoj vesny goncy,
Ona nas vyslala vperjod.

Vesna idjot, vesna idjot,
I tikhikh, teplykh majskikh dnej
Rumjanyj, svetlyj khorovod
Tolpitsja veselo za nej!..."

Spring Waters
English translation © Philip Ross Bullock

The fields are still white with snow,
But the streams already herald spring –
They run and stir the sleepy banks,
They run, and glitter, and proclaim…

They proclaim in every direction:
‘Spring is coming, spring is coming!
We are the messengers of youthful spring,
Who has sent us on ahead.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,
And the quiet, warm days of May,
Like some rosy, radiant round-dance,
Rush gaily in its wake!..'

Jeshchjo v poljakh belejet sneg, 'Spring waters'
Russian source: Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev

Spring Waters
English source: Philip Ross Bullock

Jeshchjo v poljakh belejet sneg,
The fields are still white with snow,
A vody uzh vesnoj shumjat --
But the streams already herald spring –
Begut i budjat sonnyj breg,
They run and stir the sleepy banks,
Begut, i bleshchut, i glasjat...
They run, and glitter, and proclaim…

Oni glasjat vo vse koncy:
They proclaim in every direction:
"Vesna idjot, vesna idjot!
‘Spring is coming, spring is coming!
My molodoj vesny goncy,
We are the messengers of youthful spring,
Ona nas vyslala vperjod.
Who has sent us on ahead.

Vesna idjot, vesna idjot,
Spring is coming, spring is coming,
I tikhikh, teplykh majskikh dnej
And the quiet, warm days of May,
Rumjanyj, svetlyj khorovod
Like some rosy, radiant round-dance,
Tolpitsja veselo za nej!..."
Rush gaily in its wake!..'